Water filters are generally divided into two classes: point of entry water filters and point of use water filters. Point of use water filters can be installed at a kitchen sink or within a refrigerator appliance in order to filter water entering such devices. In order to filter water, water filters are generally provided with a filtering media, such as a block of activated carbon. The water filter's filtering media can adsorb or remove contaminants such as chlorine and lead from water prior to delivering such water to a user. For example, the water filter can filter water prior to such water entering the refrigerator's ice maker or water dispenser.
The block of activated carbon has pores that permit a flow of water through the block. By passing through the pores, contaminants such as sand, rust, and cysts within the flow of water can be mechanically filtered out of the water. Similarly, volatile organic compounds such as chloroform, lindane, and atrazine can be adsorbed into pore surfaces as water moves through the carbon block. However, the filtering capacity of the filtering media can decrease over time due to pores becoming clogged or pore surfaces become saturated with contaminates. Also, conditions within the filtering media can provide for large scale bacteria growth, particularly over time. For example, bacteria can start to grow within the carbon block given the right water conditions and sufficient time.
To hinder such bacteria growth and insure that the filtering media has not exceeded its filtering capacity, the water filter is preferably replaced or serviced about every six months regardless of its current performance. However, changing the water filter can be a messy and time consuming task. For example, when a filter cartridge is removed from a manifold water can spill from the manifold. To limit spilling, water flow to the manifold can be terminated with a valve, but actuating a valve can be time consuming and inconvenient. Thus, certain consumers only replace the water filter after it has become blocked, e.g., by sediment accumulation around and within the carbon block.
Accordingly, a water filter with features for hindering spilling of water during removal or replacement of a filter cartridge would be useful.